Things are Falling from the Sky!

Today we are waiting for a NASA satellite to come falling down from the sky.  It’s interesting that people put things out in space and they come crashing down, but God put things in space – think planets, stars, sun, moon – and they are still there thousands of years later.

Sailors years ago used the stars in the sky to know their location and the season.  Today we still look up at the stars and see those same constellations.  We look in the sky expecting to see the stars because we know they will be there.  In the morning we know the sun will rise and it does.  Because God has everything in control.  He is that powerful.  And we are not.

The things we do can come crashing down on us.  In children’s ministry we must minister to the kids through the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.  We must plan.  We must prepare.  We must also pray.  If we try to do ministry just on our own and forget about God, our ministry will not work.  Eventually it will come crashing down.  When we count on God to move, amazing things will happen.  Children will come to know Him.  They will be excited to pray and read their Bibles.  They will tell their friends about Jesus.  Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” (NIV).  Just imagine the possibilities!

The sun will go down tonight.  The stars will come out.  Because God is powerful and He is in control.  Let’s trust God’s power this week to work in our classes.  There are children who feel like the sky is falling down on them right now.  We can show them the God who knows them and loves them, the God who will never leave them.  Our kids need to know our God who holds the stars in the sky and brings the sun up every morning.

The NASA satellite will fall, but the stars, the sun and the moon will stay in the sky.  Do the kids in our ministries know our powerful God?

Fearless

Today I picked up a spider.  I’m terrified of spiders.  It was one of those big gold-colored spiders with the really long, thin legs.  I thought it was a large piece of string or something on the sweater that I had set out to dry.  It was definitely something, but it was not string.

Then I drove in my car and I heard the song “Fearless” by Building 429.  Sometimes, okay, a lot of times, God calls us to be fearless.  To be brave for Him.  To go out of our comfort zone and do things like, you know, writing a blog for anyone in the world to read.

God has said in His Word that He will never leave us.  So today, I choose to be brave for Him.  To be fearless.  I have to be.  I have no idea where that spider is right now!

 

Ruth, Boaz and a Hostess Cupcake

“I want to wear those short shorts.”

I was chatting with a fifth grade girl the other day when she shared this information with me.  She had noticed the older girls wearing very short shorts to school and mentioned that she wanted to wear them, too.  I understand wanting to wear the latest fashions and wanting to be noticed.  No one wants to feel alone or unseen.

I thought about Ruth in the Bible.  Ruth got noticed by Boaz.  Yes, he initially noticed her because she was new on his field and he was probably interested in finding out who she was because she was pretty, but it was what was inside of Ruth that caused Boaz to fall in love with her.

Ruth had decided to become a Christian and she was letting the love of God flow through her.  She gave up everything to go with Naomi and to live in Naomi’s land.  They had nothing so she gleaned in the fields with the poor people and worked harder than anyone had ever worked.  She did all of this because of her love for Naomi.  And word got out.

When Boaz heard about the way that Ruth cared so much for Naomi, he fell in love with her.  It wasn’t because of her clothes or her outward beauty.  Yes, it’s important to be healthy and always look our best, but it is also important to love God and let His love flow through us.  People will notice the love of God in us every time.

It’s just like a Hostess Cupcake!  You’ve seen those wonderful chocolate cupcakes with the chocolate icing and curly white frosting decorating the top.  They look delicious!  But when you break apart the cupcake you find something even better – glorious cream!  Everyone knows that the cream in the middle is the best part of the cupcake!  Without the cream it is just like any other chocolate cupcake.  The cream in the middle makes all the difference!  Just like knowing God makes a huge difference in us.  Anyone can put on the latest fashions and get noticed for that.  But only those of us who know God and choose to live His ways can make a huge difference in our world.

I want to be known for the love of God that people see in me.  Just like Ruth.  I hope my fifth grade friend does, too.  What about you?

Looking Over the Fence at a 5-Day Club

This summer I hosted a 5-Day Club in my backyard.  What an awesome time!  As I consider all that went on here that week I remember the construction workers at the new house next door.  They would have seen us playing tag and listening to Bible stories.  They definitely heard us shout out God’s Word and sing our song about the joy that Jesus gave to us.  A large group of children can be quite loud!  Perhaps that is all they noticed – just a fun club of kids during a hot week in summer.  But that’s not all that God saw.

That same week I taught my Sunday school class about looking at things with God’s perspective.  We learned about the twelve spies that Moses sent out to give a report about the land that God was giving them.  In class we sent out our own twelve spies, complete with costumes.  Then they came back with their reports.  You know the story, but it made me think.  Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who saw things from God’s point of view.  How often have I not seen things from God’s point of view, just like those ten spies and the workers on the other side of the fence?

That week was more than a fun week of games, songs and Bible lessons.  That week children heard the clear message of the Gospel, memorized Scripture, and sang songs about Jesus to their parents at home.  Seeds were planted and a few eternities were changed forever.  Definitely more than what could be observed by just looking over the fence.  Young lives were influenced to love God and I received a gentle reminder to see things from God’s perspective.

That was an awesome week!

Creating a Storm in the Children’s Choir

I sprayed the entire children’s choir with water!  Well, actually, I had my teen leader do the actual spraying of the water.  We needed the element of surprise.  This isn’t something we do every week.  I can explain.

You see, I’ve never been a big fan of the hymns.  I grew up with the NIV Bible so words like Thee and Thou can be so confusing.  And the tunes are so…you know…slow.  But when I have heard of the story behind the hymn, well, that changes everything.  The words begin to have meaning, the song comes to life and I begin to love God even more.  So when I recently found the music for a hymn and learned the story that inspired it, I couldn’t wait to share it with the children.

This hymn was inspired by a strong storm and a rainbow.  Kids can relate to storms and rainbows.  So I shared the story.  First we imagined the sky getting darker.  Then we snapped our fingers to make the rain begin slowly, then slapped our legs faster and then faster to make the rain come down harder and harder.  And then came the rain!  Yes, we sprayed water up in the air so it would fall onto the children.  Then we made the rain stop and we imagined the sky clearing.  Then came the rainbow and we pretended that we heard church bells ringing in the distance.  After that, I shared the words of the song, “How Great Thou Art,” with the children and we discussed the power and greatness of God.  It was wonderful!  And guess what?  The next week, the children remembered.  The children enjoyed singing the hymn and remembered the power and greatness of our awesome God.  Maybe I’m becoming more of a fan of the hymns.

Adventure in Children’s Ministry!

In children’s ministry, we have an awesome opportunity to influence children to love God and live for Him every day.  Those of us in this ministry are doing just that every week.  And it’s so important.  Children are growing up in a culture where they need to know Jesus and they need to know Him now.  Think about it.  How many teenagers and young adults do you know who are living with regrets and broken hearts?  What if they had received Jesus as their Savior when they were a child?  What if they grew up with the desire to live God’s ways?  I have seen the difference that this makes.  Children need to know right now that there is right and wrong, that the Bible is true and that there is a God who loves them and will never leave them when they come to Him.  We can have a part in leading children to a real relationship with Jesus that will change their lives forever.

Join me on my adventure as I encourage children to love God and live for Him every day!